Aurora Sapphirus
by The Mew in a Chair
Summary: CHAPTER 4 is now up! R&R. The Champion League is being held in Kalos. But Top Coordinator Dawn isn't there compete. In fact she's in Kalos on business for a new job. until strange things begin to happen around her, which brings together the most powerful trainers in the world, and the power that is Mega Evolution comes to shine at the surface. No Pairing. Anime AU. My First Fic.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello everyone. This is my first fanfic. It will be set in the anime universe a few years after what I assume the XY saga ends.**_

_**I don't think I have as much to say here because I don't know what anybody thinks of my writing but I hope that you all find this somewhat pleasing. I actually rewrote this once because I wasn't too happy about it, but I think this version will be appropriate setup.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**...**_

**Aurora Sapphirus**

**By The Mew in a Chair**

**Chapter 1**

**...**

_**Seven months of my life were spent travelling with two men who changed my life. I learned the meanings of both defeat and victory. They were great teachers. I saw my dreams come alive in front of me and also vanish. The allure of the Grand Festival's stage brought me to my highest point. I embraced it and loved every second of it. Just as quickly as that faithful battle with my good friend began, I was shattered by the harsh reality of defeat. Having been so close, but falling so far. That was for me, the end of my first journey, but all I felt was proud of what I and my Pokemon had accomplished.**_

_** My second journey would be by myself. I would grow a lot more as a person and learn more than I ever thought possible. The best part about having Pokemon at your side is that you will never stop learning. It's the greatest feeling in the world. Hoenn was so different than Sinnoh and I enjoyed every minute of my time there. I travelled across beaches, forests, caves, and mountains. This Grand Festival, I finally got to taste victory. It was surreal, a rush, and an exhilarating excruciating journey. After almost a year and a half on the road I had gotten to fulfill my dream.**_

_** I spent the next five months doing fashion work for some friends of my mother's after that. A sort of break that I needed and my Pokemon and I deserved. It was one of my hobbies that I realized that I could turn into a real career. The window was always open for me.**_

_** Afterwards I had the urge to keep going with my travels. I had been to Unova briefly but I decided that I would compete in contests there. Coordinating there was a rather new thing, so having had two regions worth of experience; I found it to be much easier than previous journeys. Nonetheless I was still proud. Top 2, three Grand Festivals in a row, it was amazing.**_

_** I decided I wanted to take a break from coordinating. Designing clothes was always a thought of mine and the window of opportunity one day happened to open up to me again.**_

_** It's been four years since I started training Pokemon, and now I was in for a brand new experience, in the most beautiful region in the world of Pokemon.**_

_** My name is Dawn Platina Bertliz, and I was going to live the dream that has yet to come true.**_

_**...**_

A crisp breeze went through the air as a young man sipped at his drink. His left hand rested on the table, staying at ease with the rest of his body. He took his mouth away from the edge of the glass to admire the view of the dock he was sitting on.

His appearance was rather plain. His hair was shaggy purple with uncut eyebrows that were turned permanently downwards giving his face a rather dark and solemn appearance. His clothing was dark blue and black, a purple scarf wrapped around his neck.

"Sir, your check."

The young man, Paul Shinji, looked to the side as a waiter placed a piece of paper next to him. He took out a small bill and placed it on top.

"Keep the change." He muttered with a plain voice. The waiter took it and walked off.

Looking into his cup, Paul saw his dark onyx eyes looking back at him in the water's reflection. Every time he did he saw the same thin, his own face, unmoved by his life experiences.

It had been three years since the conclusion of his faithful journey across Sinnoh where he met that man. That man who had questioned his way of battle and reevaluate him. Never had he had a battle that fierce, and he had never had one like it since that day. The day he lost to Ash Ketchum in the Sinnoh League.

_"Three years"_ He thought. The breeze suddenly picked up. Paul's face turned slightly as he saw the dock ready to accept a new arrival. A seaplane was docking, propeller still turning. He took another sip of his drink and let the breeze wash over him blowing a few strands of hair into his eyes as the door opened and passengers started flowing out.

As the mess of people began to disperse, he spotted one lone passenger, raising an eyebrow when he noticed her.

She had grown since he last saw her, not by much, if he had to guess maybe two or three inches. Her arms and legs were slightly thicker and her body had begun to develop more curves. Her navy blue hair was tied backwards in a ponytail, accented with a pink bow between it and her head. She wore a black jeans jacket vest, pink shorts, and pink boots with knee high blue socks. Her wrists were addressed with a Poketch on her left and a purple bracelet on her right. Her left ear was adorned with a Diamond earring, while her right was adorned with a Pearl earring.

On her shoulder was her partner Pokemon, a small blue penguin Pokemon. He was slightly amazed that she had gone almost five years without evolving her Piplup.

_"How troublesome…"_ Paul thought to himself as he finished off his drink, watching the girl walk while staring at her wrist, obviously looking at an app instead of where she was going.

He grunted and turned his head away, admiring the piece of paper he had sitting next to his drink. It was a paper for Pokemon trainers like him and the whole reason he was in this region.

Before he could pick it up, a smell washed over him from behind, a smell of blueberry. A hand darted out in front of him and snatched the paper.

"Hey!" He yelled in an annoyed tone as he whirled around to face the girl, who had snuck up behind him and was staring at the paper. He tore it out of her hands and was met with a crystal blue gaze.

"Paul! It IS you!" she said joyously. He grunted in reply, still annoyed that the pesky female had to intrude on his business. Piplup's face tightened and he huffed.

"You're so troublesome." He muttered. The girl fumed at him.

"IT'S NOT TROUBLESOME!" She shouted "MY NAME IS D-A-W-N!"

"I thought it was immature." Paul replied as he stood up.

He had grown slightly over the years as well and was nearly a full head taller than Dawn. They actually ran into each other every few months but only for brief moments at a time. He disliked socializing with people such as her. They had personalities that were a bit too bubbly for his taste.

"What are you doing here in Kalos?" Dawn asked in a demanding tone as she smirked and crossed her arms "I thought for sure you would be taking that spot you won in the Sinnoh Battle Frontier last year, at least that's what Maylene told me."

A grunt left the plum haired trainer's lips as he looked away.

"I still never defeated him. I've trained for too long but it's been a long time since the last battle I had with him. I don't want to take the spot until I feel that I'm strong enough." He replied.

Dawn's eyes widened.

"Him…You mean Brandon?" She asked.

Paul chuckled a bit at her reply. Memories started to flood into his head

"No...I defeated him quite a while ago actually. It took a few tries but finally...I did it" He laughed before turning to Dawn "I'm talking about Ash"

The blunette went silent. She hadn't actually known that Paul had defeated Brandon. The last time she had actually heard of the Pyramid Master was a rumor that after the Sinnoh League of her first journey, he had battled Paul for a second time and had defeated him. She had heard that he had knocked out two of Brandon's legendary Regi's so that was progress on Paul's behalf. And now here he was.

"I beat him because I was inspired to surpass Ash. He's a trainer like none I had ever met. I've been waiting a long time to battle him again." He explained.

"So why don't you just call him for a battle?" Dawn asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Don't be stupid" Paul said sternly "I'm not openly pursuing him. I'm waiting until we cross paths again when neither of us is prepared. It will be the true test of how much we've grown in the past four years."

Dawn winced, slightly annoyed with Paul's tone. He really hadn't changed since he had last met Ash. Four years didn't do that much to a person she guessed.

"I'm here for the Champion League" the plum haired man continued, snapping Dawn out of her stupor. She gasped.

"You…qualified?" she stammered.

"Mhmm. First place in Kanto two years ago plus the Sinnoh Battle frontier was enough to qualify. It's being held here in Kalos this year" Paul explained.

"Congratulations!" Dawn said with a light in her eyes. Paul narrowed his and the light went away. Dawn frowned at him "Why do you always have to look so glum?"

"Ash will be here. I know it. I'm itching to battle" He said "Troublesome people like you are going to distract me."

Dawn growled and turned away with a huff.

"Well fine! I didn't want to be a bother anyway." She said as she started to walk away.

The blunette walked ten paces away before Pauls voice cut through the air to her again.

"What brings you here?" He asked coldly "You know there aren't any contests in Kalos this year and don't you have a title to keep?"

"I wasn't aware you kept up with me." Dawn replied, not turning around.

"As little as I care about trivial things like Pokemon contests, it's hard to ignore news like Top Coordinator, especially one from my home region." Paul said with a smirk. Dawn turned around.

"I…I was asked to do modeling and fashion shoots here in Lumoise for a few months. It's a job." She said nervously "I'm really nervous since I haven't done any yet. But my Pokemon have been in a few shoots."

Paul laughed. It wasn't a mocking one that Dawn was used to hearing out of him, which caught her off guard slightly. He waved his hand and turned around.

"You, nervous? Don't make me laugh. You'll be fine. Just stay out of trouble."

And with those words, and Dawn's eyes widening, Paul walked off.

"…Bye?" The blunette forced out of her mouth. She looked at Piplup. "Well…I guess it's time to go meet our boss."

**...**

The streets of Lumoise city were astonishing to Dawn. She thought Slateport City in Hoenn was heaven but Lumoise must have been in an even higher realm, if that had even been possible. Billboards lined the buildings, stores lined the sidewalks, and Pokemon walked alongside people at every turn. It was the busiest most developed city she had ever seen.

Style was clearly something people valued in the Kalos region. Clothing was clearly less plain, flashier. Boutiques were topped with one single piece of clothing on a roof, symbolizing the specialty of each building's type of sales.

"This place is amazing Piplup!" Dawn said, flabbergasted at the massive amount of stores that lined the sides of the streets. Her boots clicked against the cobblestone walkways as she admired the other sights, such as people riding scooters and Segway's with small Pokemon out.

Of course when she walked past certain alleyways, people were out relaxing with cups of coffee while watching Pokemon Battles. One trainer ordered his Hariyama to throw out an Arm Thurst attack, only to have it countered by a Pinsir's horn smashing into its hand. The spectators clapped at the spectacle.

"There are even Café's for Pokemon battles. Just like the one in Mauville City!" The blunette said to her partner Pokemon.

"Piplup!" The penguin chirped with joy as they walked on.

"Now let's see…The Cloud Nine Store is supposedly on the next street." Dawn mumbled as she turned a corner.

***WHACK***

Dawn held her head as she looked on to who she knocked into.

"Oh my apologies…I wasn't watching where I was going." A male voice said.

The male was a young man probably no older than Dawn herself. He had brown hair that reached past his ears and a red hat with sunglasses. His outfit was completely blue and he had Pokeballs at his side.

"My bad" Dawn said.

"It's fine" the male said "Sorry I'm going to be late for something."

He walked off in a hurry, leaving Piplup to pat Dawn's forehead.

"Oof…Busy city means busy people I suppose…Oh wow…" She said as she looked on ahead of her. Piplup turned to see what his trainer was looking at and the penguin Pokemon's eyes nearly popped out in shock.

It was a MASSIVE building, bigger than any store (as the giant **DEPARTMENT** sign that adorned the top of it) and colored light blue, almost a teal pitch. There were fluffy cloud patterns all around the edges of the wall and a large poster of a young woman dressed in the same shade of clothing as the building (albeit very revealing), surrounded by the wings of an Altaria. The building itself reminded Dawn of the sky.

"I feel like this is our stop" She told Piplup.

"Lup!" The penguin chirped happily.

Walking to the front entrance, the sliding glass doors on the front slid open and Dawn walked inside. A pair of girls walking past the entrance turned and noticed her.

"Oh…my gawd!" one of them said, triggering both girls to run up to her "It's Dawn! Can I have your autograph!?"

Dawn blushed as they both handed her a pad of paper and a pen. She signed her name on them and handed them to the girls.

"The gals are gonna be SOOO JEALOUS!" They said as they ran off to the store. The outburst caused several more people to notice and applaud the blunette Coordinator. She blushed harder.

Despite having won two Grand Festivals in a row, Dawn was still not very comfortable interacting with fans. She didn't feel she was old enough to maturely handle it like a senior such as Wallace. She enjoyed the attention, but it did make her feel nervous even today.

She drew a lot of strength from Piplup's confidence. The Penguin Pokemon released a small Bubblebeam, filling the air of the store with the clear watery orbs. The onlookers clapped as Piplup made a small bow. Dawn smiled and her blush faded.

"I'm looking for Lisia? The owner? I'm here on business" She finally said as the bubbles all popped around them.

One of the clerks behind the desk of the floor she was currently on pointed Dawn to an escalator and told her to head to the fourth floor. She thanked him and walked on up to it.

_"Haha…even in Kalos people know me. I guess I shouldn't be surprised I bet most of the people here are vacationing from other reasons…This is a touristy region"_ She thought.

Letting out a sigh of relief, she stepped off the escalator and widened her eyes. This floor wasn't a store. It was a giant showing area. A large stage was set up at the front and several rows of plastic chairs were arranged in rows in front of it. The walls were completely glass giving the spectators not only a view of the stage but a view of the city if they walked up to them.

Behind it were souvenirs on sale and several people bustling around the room. Some Pokemon were on the stage performing, an Elekid, Smoochum, and Magby. Some people clapped as they all released an attack of their respective type and watched them crackle on contact with each other, releasing a large array of colored light.

"Wow…Pretty!" Dawn remarked.

"They are quite good!" She heard a voice behind her as the Pokemon's trainer led them off the stage.

Turning, Dawn found herself greeted by the same girl that was on the poster. She was about as tall as Dawn but she noticed a blue, rather sharp accessory in her hair, adorned with a beautiful rainbow colored stone with what looked like a DNA pattern. Something that caught her off guard was her eyes, which were so green they shinnied like emeralds.

"Lisia!" She gasped.

"In the flesh!" The girl said with a smile. She flashed Dawn a peace sign, spinning her body around as she did so "And you, little miss, are the up and coming, glamourous, and let's not to mention FASHIONABLE, coordinator, Dawn!"

The blunette was a little overwhelmed by the laundry list of adjectives that she was just described with, but she reached her hand out to shake with Lisia's, to which she eagerly took and shook with extreme vigor.

"I'm sooooooo excited that you came to Kalos! It's an honor!" The teal haired girl grinned, showing off a set of pearly white teeth.

"It's an honor to meet you too! You're even more beautiful in person than on TV and in the magazines!" Dawn eagerly replied.

"Oh hush you! I could say the same to you. And your Piplup is even cuter in person!" Lisia said.

"Pip-Lup!" The penguin Pokemon raised his flipper in a proud salute.

Lisia was a Top Coordinator who had been dominating the Hoenn and Kanto Circuits for five years, as well as a famous Pokemon Showcaser in Kalos. She had popped onto the scene at the age of 12 and was a sensation. Her immense talent was no surprise to anybody since her uncle was the esteemed Champion and Top coordinator Wallace, and thus would infer that talented coordinators simply oozed out of her family.

In the last two years, she had begun marketing herself and delved into the fashion world, where her bright personality and unique sense of fashion went over really well with her fans, as well as girls everywhere. Cloud Nine was her branch, as her main outfits were themed after her favorite Pokemon, her Altaria that she called Ali.

Recently Lisia had contacted Dawn, who had been working with the famous Sinnoh fashion model Paris on and off over the years and asked over video phone if she would be interested in shooting some photo sets with her in Kalos. While they talked, Dawn learned that Lisia was quite the fan of her having seen her in even her first Grand Festival, and what drew the model to Dawn was the blunette's sense of as she called it…

"…You're a diamond that shines smoother than a pearl!" She exclaimed as Dawn sweatdropped at the analogy.

"Thank you. Lumoise City is beautiful!" She said.

"Well thank you! I was born here actually so I've always wanted my face somewhere on this city, but it took a long time for me to get a location down here. Slateport City is very busy as you should know so it's a lot of work to keep a spot down there, but I can do it!" Lisia exclaimed.

Dawn turned back to the stage and closed her eyes, remembering her first time on the coordinating stage, where she had lost her first contest, but gained knowledge that would stay with her for the rest of her life, as well as a love for the stage. She attributed that quality to her mother.

"Of course I put on small performances her every once in a while but they got so rare that I decided I would let other trainers appeal here. It's so fun to see what kind of people come by. You never know, Dawn, the next top coordinator could be right under our nose!" Lisia continued on.

"It is a good idea." Dawn said.

"Yeah isn't it!? It's gotten even busier with all these people who are coming to see the champion League in two months!" Lisia buzzed with enthusiasm "My uncle will be competing too and AAAAH! I'm so excited….Oh yeah, his best friend Steven is going to be competing too."

"Steven…?" Dawn asked.

"He was the champion of Hoenn before my uncle but he decided to step down because of his research. He's the son of , the president of Devon Corporation." Lisia explained "They've been rivals and friends since they were little kids."

The blunette vaguely recalled passing by a building known as Devon Co. when she was in Hoenn and staying in Rustboro city.

"I've also heard other conference winners will be competing as well so I'm super stoked for that. Actually the Kalos Champion shops here frequently so I'm stoked for her. Maybe you'll get to meet her!"

"Diantha…" Dawn murmured "I've seen her movies!"

"She's gorgeous isn't she? She could easily be a top coordinator but alas she's always busy with her films and battling. Boo! I would love to see her perform." Lisia said with a frown "But the fact that she comes here is a blessing because it's a testament to how far I've come and how hard I've worked!"

"That's the spirit!" Dawn said with her fist pumped into the air.

"Come on! Why don't I show you around Lumoise! You just got here and I don't want you to immediately feel like you have to flood yourself in work. Think of this as a pseudo vacation!" Lisia said as she grabbed Dawn by the wrist and before she even knew what was happening, the two of them had dashed down the escalator and out the doors in a flash.

**...**

Meanwhile on the outskirts of Kalos, a giant form lurked under the water. A swarm of remoraid passed it without a care in the world. It was a massive submarine that was currently stationed. The metal was black and polished and the side was adorned with a circular mark with legs and a sharp point on top.

"SIR!" One of the occupants that was inside the massive sub yelled "We are nearly to Kalos! We should arrive within the next three hours!"

"EXCELLENT!" A voice boomed over the sub "GREAT WORK MEN! Once we get to shore there will be further orders!"

The source of the voice stood up, reveaing a dark sinned man with a blue bandanna tied over his head. He wore a black lab coat and blue boots with no shirt underneath the coat. In front of his chest dangled a large anchor with the same rainbow gemstone Lisia had in her hair on the accessory.

"That great beast is apparently sleeping here. I hope it's doing well, even after all the trouble I've caused it before." The man said.

The sub lurched forward and slowly began to move towards Lumoise. As it drifted, clouds above it began to materialize, casting a dark shadow over the water. Thunder began to rumble as the storm drifted over the sub.

**...**

"Lumoise City has come really far over the years. Most of that comes from our gym leader, Clemont." Lisia explained to Dawn as they walked through the streets "All of the lights in the city are powered from a single source and everything is extremely ecofriendly. At night the gym lights up the entire city. You can see it there actually."

"It's so tall!" Dawn remarked seeing a giant tower centered smack in the middle of the city. "It's so cool how this city is a giant loop with that beautiful tower to bring it all together."

"Yep. The lights from Prism Tower as we call it were also designed by Clemont." Lisia went on "He's a brilliant inventor and an even better trainer."

The sun had already begun to set on the city and the stars had started to reveal themselves.

"Oh this is the best part!" Lisia noted. "Watch this!"

The sun vanished on the coastline, taking away the last daylight. As the town began to become drafted in Darkness, all the streetlights began to flicker on before suddenly enveloping the whole city of Lumoise in a bright light.

"Ta-Da! Day night sensor lights. All across the city as well!" Lisia remarked.

"So cool…Did Clemont make them too?" Dawn asked.

"Yep!" Lisia replied

A gust of wind blew across the girls faces.

"Oh a shame…It looks like a storm is rolling in. Oh we better hurry! The Prism Tower will be lit soon!" Lisia explained as she pointed to it. "Let's go up close! This is always the best time of the night."

The girls changed course towards the center of the city. The centerfold streets were all actually concrete bridges over water. Inside the water a school of Luvdisc swam by, as well as a large Clauncher. The shimmering lights reflected the scaly backs of Feebas that stayed in the darkness of under the paths.

As they reached the center, Lisia took the time to point out every single café on the street to Dawn who was amazed that there were so many different cafes so close together, each specializing in their own drink or food.

"Of course the ones that receive the most attention are the ones that offer Pokemon Battles for free meals and drinks." Lisia made sure to point out. Piplup's beak began to drool at the thought of the cuisine that awaited him in this city.

"Wow this is like a girl's paradise." Dawn said "It's so beautiful and so clean. So much to take in! My mom would love this place."

"You should bring her down here during the spring. It's our least busy time of year and so relaxing." Lisia suggested.

Dawn looked at her wrist at her Poketch. It was something that had stuck with her since she had started being a trainer. It had never once failed her over the years and she always loved reminding herself of the good times she had with Brock and Ash on her first journey. It was currently 8:57 PM.

"So what time does this tower light up?" Dawn asked.

"Usually at 9!" Lisia said with an excited pitch to her voice.

They took a seat on a nearby bench. Piplup jumped off Dawn's shoulder and sat on the ground, ready to watch the spectacle. Another gust of wind suddenly swept across them and then a crackle of thunder.

"Oh man that doesn't sound like a friendly storm. It's moving so quick too!" Lisia remarked as she looked at the sky as the stars began to vanish behind the stormy cloud.

The time on Dawn's Poketch hit 9:00 and suddenly before she could open her mouth, a flash of lightning crashed across Lumoise City and struck the top of the Prism Tower.

Then the lights throughout the city all went black.

"…Uh…Oh…" Dawn said nervously.

"Lup…?"

**...**

_ Next Time_

_ Dawn and Lisia are in the dark, literally. As they go to investigate the source, a mysterious group arrives in Lumoise. And what's with that strange storm? Could they have the answers?_

_ I hope you all enjoyed the first Chapter. I'll ask for reviews on what you liked and how I could adapt to make the next chapter even better for you guys to read. I'm still pretty new to this n_n and of course if you have questions I'll see if I can answer them!_

_ So yeah, Read, Review, and stick around, because I have so much more planned for this fic!_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hello. I haven't updated in over a year. Honestly it was me being demotivated but recently a creative spark has hit me once again. I looked over my notes and have decided to redo some things in the plot and I'm much happier with it now._**

**_Thank you to the 5 people that reviewed this story and I hope you still enjoy what I put out in the future. I will be continuing to update hopefully regularly (Or irregularly with not too much time between updates...) so that we can progress and I can get feedback and learn more_**

**_In the meantime, why bother wasting time with meaningless pre chapter babbling? I've already been so late on this and thats not why you're here. You're here to read my story. Here's the next installment, and I promise the next one won't take a year._**

**_..._**

**Aurora Sapphirus**

**By The Mew in a Chair**

**Chapter 2**

**...**

_**Ok, admittedly, this wans't exactly the start I wanted to have to my time in the Kalos Region. A total Blackout, right after meeting Lisia was a less than ideal situation. But hey what can you do? Problems always pop up when you don't want them to and there's nothing you can do but either wait them out or work to fix them. Admittedly I didn't have as much experience with technology as someone like this Clemont guy that Lisia had talked about but that didn't mean I was going to sit by.**_

_**Helping people was always something I liked doing. It was a trait I feel like I picked up from Ash. That rambunctious attitude of his always setting me on the path of what felt like Justice. Now that sounds a bit over exaggerated for just a blackout but hey. There was no need to worry! Not when I was around of course.**_

_**What surprised me more was I started to remember this guy. I recall he traveled with Ash before. Was it fate pulling me towards all these familiar faces at once? or was it something more? Either way. The storm surrounding Lumoise was worrying and here I stood in it, watching this friend of a friend work diligently...**_

_**... **_

A few minutes had passed since the lights in Lumoise had gone out and people were already gathered around the main circuit grid that was located at the base of the tower.

Clemont coughed as he lifted up the fuse box. Dawn and Lisia stood behind him as smoke poured from the metal casing. He scratched the back of his head and looked at the two girls with an annoyed grunt.

"Well…Power grid got completely fried. The odds of a single bolt of lightning just happening to hit it were about one in 125700…" He sighed as he adjusted his glasses before taking them off and began to rub them as he got lost in his own thought.

The blonde Gym Leader was already at the base of the tower when the lightning had struck. Lisia had pulled Dawn over to him as the storm they had felt beginning to channel earlier began, coating Lumoise in a thick sheet of heavy rain. People were going inside and scampering about, using Fire and Electric type Pokemon to try and make lights for people to see.

Clemont motioned for the two to help him take a look at the main power grid of Lumoise Tower, hoping it would be easy to fix but it looked grim. A young girl exited the base of the tower and ran over, her blonde hair the same shade as Clemont's but her smile was brighter and her clothing was heavy with leather straps. She looked at Lisia and Dawn. In her hands was a Pokemon Dawn had seen once or twice on TV but never in person, a Dedenne.

"Big bro, what happened!? I could barely find my way down here and nearly slipped on the stairs!" She said as she turned back to him, obviously his little sister.

"Lightning strike took out the main grid…and all the power in Lumoise" Clemont sighed as he put his glasses back on and turned back to his two guests "I'm so sorry about the conditions. I saw Lisia and thought she might be able to help but in the rush I didn't even get to introduce myself. I'm Clemont, Gym Leader of Lumoise and full time inventor"

Clemont held his hand out and Dawn shook it. She looked at him and cocked her head, suddenly recalling in a discussion with Ash a long while ago that he travelled with a boy and his sister who matched their descriptions.

"Pleasure to meet you!" The blunette said, nonetheless happy to meet Kalosian natives. She turned to the girl "I'm Dawn, what's your name?"

"Bonnie! I'm Clemont's little sister and also his…" She motioned to Dawn and she leaned her head down as Bonnie made a little grin before whispering into her ear "…personal matchmaker. I'm looking for his wife…"

Clearly her brother heard that because a large robotic arm popped out of the backpack Clemont was wearing and picked up Bonnie from the shirt collar, causing her to almost lose the Dedenne in her hands as she was lifted off the ground. The Gym Leader rolled his eyes before turning back to Dawn and Lisia.

"Anyways…the storm's getting really bad. Why don't I invite you guys inside for a few minutes so I can run a quick scan of the network and see if there's a way I can fix this?" He said as he motioned a hand to the sliding door of the tower. Lisia and Dawn nodded.

"That's totally cool! Thanks Clemont. Let us know if there's anything we can do to help you out with this! After all you've helped me out so much since I opened!" Lisia exclaimed as they walked towards the door, Clemont placing Bonnie back on the ground as she trailed behind them.

The inside of the lobby of the Prism Tower was dark, but Clemont was clearly prepared for incidents like this. He snapped a finger and a few emergency lights popped on from the floor, dimly lighting the room. The four humans and the two Pokemon sat down. Piplup looked around a little concerned as Clemont pulled out a small laptop and began typing.

"Now let's see here…The main power grid is here at the base of the tower since the tower is in the middle of the city, however I have several backup generators lining the sewers of the city, all hydro powered…But something's strange, the flow of the water seems to have slowed completely to a stop and some of the generators aren't pulling any energy from the water" The gym leader explained as several charts and pictures began to pop up on the screen.

"You use the sewers to power the city?" Dawn gasped. The blonde Gym Leader nodded.

"Yeah over the years I've been looking for ways to make the power in Kalos less reliant on Pokemon and human production and more reliant on the ecosystem. The canals that travel around Lumoise all open into the ocean but also are filtered through our sewage, which helps generate power for the city in case the main grids fail" He explained.

"My brother's really smart! It took him only a few months to set up all the generators!" Bonnie laughed and hugged her brother, who pushed her away quickly, his voice serious.

"But…I've never had this problem before. Usually when there's a short circuit with the main grid a backup generator would normally be able to at least temporarily restore power to the city but this time it doesn't look like ANY power is coming. The first generator at the entrance to the sewage plant has completely stopped, which means something is stopping the flow of water" He said as he gripped his chin, pondering the situation.

"Do you think it's the storm? Or Pokemon perhaps?" Lisia asked with a raised eyebrow as a clap of thunder boomed outside.

"That has to be it. Something is plugging up the water at this part…" Clemont said as he turned the screen so Dawn, Lisia, and Piplup could see it, and pointed to a spot on the screen, which was displaying a large complicated looking digital blueprint.

"We have to send someone there to fix it!" Dawn said "In a storm this bad people are going to need power…"

Clemont nodded and turned the laptop back, quickly typing some commands in.

"I would go myself but I need to stay here and reboot all the systems, and fix the wiring in the fuse box. Bonnie's not a very experienced trainer yet so if something's dangerous down there I don't feel comfortable sending her alone, and I can't get in contact with any police right now because the phones are down too" He sighed as he typed. Bonnie frowned at that comment and looked over at the one Pokeball she had attached to her belt, which Dawn guessed was Dedenne's.

"We can go Dawn!" Lisia said as she stood up in a huff, a glint in her eyes. Dawn looked at her funny, the thought of exploring a sewer not sounding like the greatest thing in the world but then again, there wasn't much more she could have done in that situation if they wanted to fix the power.

The blunette nodded and stood up with her new friend and looked down at the pair of siblings.

"Yeah it shouldn't be too much trouble after all..So…Where is this generator again?" She asked Clemont.

**...**

The submarine docked in the port, the rain pouring from the sky like the rage of a Slaking against the ground. Several men exited it, wearing ponchos that covered their faces. The dark skinned captain stood up, the wind blowing his anchor necklace around as he glared at the sky.

_"Is this your doing Kyogre? You great slumbering beast…"_ He thought as they began walking down the dock, noticing the lack of people around.

"Captain Archie, the power appears to have shut off all around the city just before we docked. Do you think we should take cover inside the sub for now?" A beefy looking man said to him. Archie frowned and looked at him.

"I thought the Kalos Region would be a good place to begin our search but we may have gotten lucky after all…set up the station out here and begin scanning the area for any readings. This storm looks to be a big one but it also looks like it'll be the clue that leads us to Kyogre…" He said in a stern, commanding tone.

The people behind him all saluted and went back into the sub to grab some equipment Archie clutched his anchor and looked towards the darkened horizon of Lumoise, where he could barely make out the tower's peak against the dark skyline.

_"The Kalos Region…The land where Death and Life were supposedly created…"_ He thought _"And legends will meet…"_

**...**

Dawn had travelled many places over the years. Admittedly a sewer was not one she wanted to put on that list but she unfortunately had to now. It honestly wasn't nearly as bad as she expected, the water actually looking relatively clear. Clemont described how the filtration system worked in the city and how it worked in sections but most of it seemed to just devolve into technical mumbo jumbo that Dawn didn't understand.

Lisia looked onwards and back at the device in her hand, a holocaster with Clemont's face on it. The Gym Leader wasn't paying much attention to Lisia and Dawn as he was busy pulling wires and placing new ones in, wiping the rain from his glasses as he adjusted his poncho. A crash of lightning went through the sky, lighting the city for a brief fraction of a second before vanishing as quickly as it came.

"We should be getting closer to the spot…Just around this corner…" Lisia said as they walked alone the path.

The Lumoise Sewers had paths going around the canals that were contained under the roads, all fenced off with metal bars to prevent people from freely entering, so at least the girls didn't have to wade through the water to make any progress. Lisia turned the corner with Dawn following, Piplup cocking its head every once and a while to check if the coast was clear.

"When you get to the generator, there should be several rows of buttons. The blue one on the fifth row and the red one on the second should always be blinking and the green one on the first row should always be solid" Clemont explained through the Holocaster as he worked.

"Green, solid, red and blue, blinking. Got it" Dawn murmured.

Piplup looked ahead, squinting as the light faded slightly from the sewer, the light from the Holocaster and the flashlight Dawn had brought providing a rather dim view of the tunnel as they walked. Suddenly the Penguin Pokemon began to shudder and clutch his trainer's shoulder, shaking her body.

"What is it Piplup? You sense something?" She gasped as her and Lisia stopped.

"Lup! Piplup!" He said as he pointed ahead. Dawn crinkled her nose.

"You smell that?" She asked as she covered her face and looked at Lisia. The model nodded and covered her own face with her hand.

"Ugh…smells AWFUL! Too awful for even this place…" She grunted as they kept walking, slowly. The water looked to be changing as they moved, becoming more murky and the flow of it seemingly stopping.

Suddenly a shining shot came from the dark, causing Piplup to leap off of Dawn's shoulder instinctually and fire off a blast of bubbles, colliding with the shots, a Pin Missile attack, and causing a small explosion in the air. He landed in front of them, glaring into the dark as Dawn shined the light, gasping as the attacker was revealed.

"Oh my god! No wonder everything's busted!" Lisia gasped.

In the sewer, on top of the whirring generator and on the pathways, was a group of Muk, moaning as slime oozed off their bodies (Clearly the cause of the stench) and in the water was a school of Qwilfish, their bloated bodies blocking a majority of the water flow. They all turned their attention to the two trainers with a glare. One Qwilfish started swimming through the water, making a dash at Piplup.

"Agh! It was a bunch of Pokemon after all! The storm must have bothered them and they all came here at once!" Dawn said "Piplup! Drive them away with Drill Peck! Go!"

The Penguin Pokemon dove into the murky water and effortlessly dodged the Qwilfish's lunge, its beak glowing with energy as it spun through the water like a motorboat, turning and slamming into the Qwilfish that had attacked prior with a powerful peck, slamming it against the wall.

"Nice moves Dawn!" Lisia cheered. However the celebration was short lived as the Qwilfish rolled into the water and glared at Piplup, another one swimming and surrounding the Penguin Pokemon with their bodies. Both of the Balloon Pokemon then fired off a second round of Pin Missiles, this time coming from two directions. One of the Muk seemed to notice the action after remaining dormant for some time and opened its mouth, firing off a volley of sludge as well.

"Dodge it! Ice Beam!" Dawn ordered as the attacks came towards her Pokemon. Piplup nodded and leapt up, making a splash as he hopped towards the ceiling, dodging most of the missiles but getting hit by a stray shot of sludge. He gasped and fell down, but quickly tumbled upright before firing off a strong beam of ice from his beak, freezing up a majority of the water as well as locking the two Qwilfish in place.

The others looked annoyed and debloated, freeing themselves and causing water to flow out, pushing the frozen Qwilfish towards Piplup.

"Uh oh! We need to get to higher ground!" Dawn said, surprised as water rushed towards them.

"Ali! Help us out!" Lisia said as she tossed a Pokeball, releasing its inhabitant.

On TV, Dawn had seen Lisia's Altaria many times but seeing it in person, even in the dim lights they had as Lisia pocketed the Holocaster was something else. The large Altaria squealed before grabbing Dawn and Lisia with its wings as Piplup leapt up towards it, dodging the rush of Qwilfish flooding out of the corridor.

Ali flapped in the air holding onto the two trainers easily as it floated. Dawn felt herself getting nauseous from the smell of the Muk's as she gripped onto the Altaria's body.

"I can take them all out in one shot…" Lisia muttered as she reached for her necklace before gasping, noticing her arm seemed to be bare. Dawn looked confused as the model muttered what sounded like several curse words under her breath "Never mind…"

Two of the Muk suddenly opened their mouths and fired off their own attacks, a pair of Flamethrowers. One defrosted the Qwilfish as Ali dodged it and another went straight for Piplup, who quickly jumped back into the water with all the Qwilfish to avoid the fire.

"Crud! What do we do?! There's so many of them and we can't get down there now until the flooding stops!" Lisia said, looking at the nervously low ceilings of the sewer as the Muks prepared to take aim with another shot of sludge. The Qwilfish all glared at Piplup who sat in the water, paddling and looking around him.

**...**

Back at the base of the tower, Bonnie was inside, running wires through the door to Clemont, who was hard at work on the fuse box. He grunted and bit his finger as a spark touched it.

"Ouch!" he muttered as he shook off the pain as more and more thunder and lightning crashed and exploded in the sky. He grimaced at the situation as the storm worsened. He looked nervously at the canals, which were crashing against the walls that contained them. This was one of the worst, if not, THE worst storm he had ever seen in his life.

"I wish dad was here!" Bonnie yelled through the howling wind "It'd make things so easy!"

"I know Bon! But we're in charge now while he's travelling! So we have to deal with it ourselves! Hopefully Dawn and Lisia have the generator almost fixed because I might almost be done with the fuses…" He yelled back at his sibling.

He fit a wire in place and snapped a finger.

"Bingo! Got it! I just need a big surge of power now to get it kick started and then when the Generators all turn back on everything should reconnect!" Clemont said, reaching for his belt "Heliolisk should have enough power for this…huh?!"

His hand grasped air. The gym leader looked confused as he searched himself for his Pokeballs before gasping.

"Bonnie! I locked my Pokeballs in the gym with Clembot! And the door's locked up there because of the lack of power!" He yelled. Bonnie slapped her face.

"You dummy! How could you do something so stupid!" She yelled back.

Unnoticed by the two bickering siblings, one person hadn't gone inside and instead had a hoodie pulled over his head. Even in the howling wind and pouring rain his footsteps seemed to stand out as he approached the base of the tower, his onyx eyes piercing through the rain and viewing Clemont as the wind blew the Hoodie back, wetting his face with the storm as he approached the gym leader.

"Agh I don't know what to do…Without a strong electrical surge…" He muttered. A flash of light appeared in the corner of his glasses and he turned as an Electivire stood behind the now unhooded man.

"Need help?" Paul said with a grunt as he looked at Clemont through his glasses.

**...**

"Gah!" Dawn yelled as the Altaria weaved around the area, dodging a few shots of sludge. The initial surge of water seemed to be receding so Dawn loosened herself from the Altaria's grip and landed on the opposite side of the generator.

"What are you doing!?" Lisia said, shocked as she swung her body up onto her Altaria's back.

"Splitting them up! You hand the Qwilfish from the air and I'll handle the Muk!" Dawn said as Piplup swam towards her, the Qwilfish firing multiple Pin Missiles that were easily dodged by the agile Penguin Pokemon.

"Right! Good plan! Ali use Moonblast!" Lisia ordered.

"Al..TAR!" the Altaria squealed as a bright blast of Pink energy quickly materialized at its beak before firing towards the water, causing a burst to splash several Qwilfish aside easily, knocking several of them out at once. The remaining Balloon Pokemon all turned and fired off powerful looking Hydro Pumps, which the Altaria weaved around.

Dawn yanked out a second Pokeball as the Muk all began to turn to her, glaring as Piplup leapt over them to Dawn's feet.

"Hydro Pump!" She ordered as the Muk's fired off their Sludge attacks once again.

Piplup leapt forward, ducking and weaving around the projectiles before blasting an incredibly potent stream of water from his beak, drowning one of the Muk's that was on top of the generator and washing it off as it collapsed at the foot of the device, fainting.

"Now the next one!" She yelled.

"Ali! Sky Attack!" Lisia ordered as she leapt off of her Altaria's back.

The Altaria took action instantly as the Qwilfish fired another shot, more Pin Missile bullets barely missing the cloudy Pokemon as it gracefully dove towards the water, parting it as its wings collided with them, knocking the remainder of them out.

"Finish them off! Ice Beam go!" Dawn yelled.

Piplup shot off a second beam of ice, crashing against the water before colliding with one of the Muk's, who tried in vain to return fire with its own Flamethrower but was quickly outmatched as steam formed. The Muk gasped as it was struck and blasted backwards.

The two humans and their Pokemon stared daggers at the unconscious Pokemon as lightning struck from the storm outside, temporarily lighting the whole tunnel. The wild Pokemon all slowly slunk towards the exit of the sewers, leaving the tunnel quiet.

Lisia and Dawn sighed in relief as they walked towards the generator, viewing the rows of buttons and devices hanging off of it as it hummed warmly. They both exchanged a hearty high five.

"That was awesome!" Lisia exclaimed happily "You're pretty good!"

"Thank you! You too" Dawn giggled as they pressed the buttons.

"Green, solid, red and blue, blinking. Got it! We did it!" Lisia exclaimed as she tapped them.

Almost immediately, the generator began to whir. They looked down to the canal as a light came on below the water, causing a small paddle to start shoveling water into a pipe under the generator as it began to hum louder. Slowly but surely, the lights at the ceiling of the sewer began to flicker and turn on.

"Let's get back to Clemont!" Dawn exclaimed as Lisia took out the Holocaster.

"Is everything ok on your end?" The model exclaimed as she wiped her brow, Clemont's face popping into view. He nodded at them and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah! Somebody happened to come by and helped me restore power to the main grid so everything should be up and running in a few minutes! You guys were awesome for helping! What was the issue?" He asked.

"We'll explain when we get back. But that's so lucky!" Lisia said as she recalled her Altaria, Piplup hopping up onto Dawn's shoulder as they began walking back to where they came in, the rain pouring against the sewers as they did.

**...**

To say Dawn was surprised to see Paul again wouldn't have been a huge understatement. She gave him a hearty smile as he looked away, rolling his eyes as Clemont placed cups of Hot Cocoa in front of him, Paul, Lisia, Dawn, and Bonnie. Piplup, Electivire, Ali, and Dedenne were all on the floor eating. Electivire was happily in conversation with Piplup, glad to see the Penguin Pokemon again.

"You travelled with Ash right?" Dawn said as she sipped her cocoa and looked at the pair of blonde siblings. They nodded and exchanged a few stories with her.

"Yeah I wish Serena was here but she was off in Johto training. She's been considering battling gyms next year which is going to be a new experience for her…" Clemont said with a sigh as he looked outside, the storm still pounding against the city but it seemed to be on the verge of lightning up a bit.

The trainers were currently seated in the lobby of the tower on the couch near the desk, several people taking shelter from the storm around them but respecting the group's privacy.

"So you're a top coordinator! I knew I'd seen you before! Who woulda thought you travelled with Ash though!" Bonnie said happily as she looked at Dawn. She blushed and scratched her hair, adjusting her bow.

"I'm sorry the storm ruined the view of the city Dawn, we can catch it tomorrow though!" Lisia said as she looked up at the clock, which had struck 12:30 AM. It was very late at night.

Paul was the only one who hadn't said a word all conversation. He sat next to Dawn on the edge of the couch looking vacantly at the Pokemon and sipped his cocoa in silence. Lisia had her eyes on him, glancing at the stone cold trainer occasionally as he watched the Pokemon.

"So…What brings you here Paul? An experienced Pokemon trainer like yourself on a vacation I presume?" Lisia asked as she placed her mug down on the table. He shook his head and turned to her, crossing his legs.

"I'm here for the Champion's League" He said quickly and bluntly, his eyes narrowing.

Bonnie and Clemont's eyes widened.

"Wow that must mean you're super strong!" Bonnie laughed. Paul grunted in annoyance and looked away as Dawn put a hand on his shoulder.

"He battled Ash many times when I first became a trainer…" She giggled "You try to act tough but you've softened up over the years! Ever since you met him…"

Paul rolled his eyes and nudged the blunette's hand off his shoulder before standing and bowing to Clemont.

"Thanks for the hospitality. I appreciate it. I have a room at the Pokemon Center though and I should probably get back to it and actually make the money I spent on it worth something" He said before turning to the door. Electivire noticed and got up, patting Piplup's head before walking up to his trainer, before being recalled into his Pokeball.

The door opened and the rainstorm echoed through the lobby as everyone turned their attention. Paul's mouth dropped open as he saw why it had opened. He hadn't gotten close enough to set off the auto lock feature. Someone else had come into the door.

It was a woman with a short haircut and exquisite white clothing, a handbag around her shoulder as she gripped a large white umbrella. Her body exuded radiance and yet a gentle feeling. Clemont stood up excited as Dawn gasped and admired the woman.

"Hello Clemont!" She said as she walked in, water dripping from her coat as some of it had slipped under her Umbrella. Several people walked up and crowded her as Paul shook his head and stood to the side, allowing Clemont to walk up and shake the woman's hand.

"Long time no see Diantha! It's pretty bad out there…I'd think you'd be staying at a hotel!" He said as the Kalos Champion folded her umbrella.

"I was but the power went off so I decided to take a stroll to you and see if you had everything under control and it looks like you indeed did" She said smiling warmly as people ooed and awed at the native movie star and champion of the region. She made a kind gesture and people backed away, allowing her to brush past Paul and walk to the table, where Dawn was sitting with her mouth agape.

"Hello Lisia! Pleasure to see you! Is your uncle doing well?" Diantha said as she sat down in what was Paul's spot, placing her Umbrella on the table. Lisia giggled and nodded.

"He's going to be here soon! So you can ask him that in person! I assume you're here for the same reason as Paul over there?" The teal haired girl said as she motioned the Plum headed boy still standing near the door.

Diantha turned her head and gazed at Paul. No matter how many powerful trainers he had met in his travels, authority figures like Champions and Frontier Brains had always given him the chills. It was a feeling he didn't like. It made him feel weaker and a lot more vulnerable. He turned and exited the building quickly, not saying a word as he didn't want to get caught up in conversation.

Dawn frowned but looked at the Champion who had so casually entered the building. She turned to her.

"So tell me…Miss Dawn right?" Diantha said "What brings you here?"

Dawn couldn't help but crack a wide grin as the Kalos champion began conversation with her, as the storm raged on and the group sat drinking their warm cocoa in the night.

**...**

_Next Time_

_Dawn and Lisia begin their work, and new faces are introduced as the mysterious group that had set up shop at the docks of Lumoise is!?..._

_Phew! I wrote all of this in one two and a half hour sitting so I hope it turned out at least somewhat decently. If you all enjoyed it please leave a review and comments or follow! I promise again that the next chapter won't take another year to come out and thank you to everyone who's given this story a view and a looksee so far! I hope my writing improves quickly._

_Again thank you all for reading and I hope the next chapter as well as this one is enjoyed by all of you wonderful readers! See you in the next one!_


	3. Chapter 3

**_..._**

**Aurora Sapphirus**

**By The Mew in a Chair**

**Chapter 3**

**...**

**_All work no play right? That's a line I've heard a lot. The truth is with Coordinating I never thought it was work. I always thought it was fun to play with my Pokemon, dominating regions and putting on beautiful showings. The more I trained and the more experienced I got, I felt myself getting ahead as a trainer._**

**_Eventually now here I am, already doing more work in fields I love and just getting more experience. I think that's the best part of life is that you never stop learning._**

**_Some things however, as innocent as they seem beneath the surface, such as a storm, always have a dark underside. And I don't think playing was what some people were planning to do to take action against them._**

In her four years being a trainer, Dawn had met a lot of famous people, many of them were trainers she admired and many of them would even become her friends. But one meeting in her head that stood out to this day was the day she met Cynthia, the then, and still currently, Champion of the Sinnoh Region.

During that day she got to witness one of the most powerful trainers in history simply standing still, licking an ice cream cone, and effortlessly defeating Paul without even flinching. She'd never forget that demonstration of strength where Paul, one of at the times, the strongest trainers she had run into on journey get stomped in a matter of seconds by a single Pokemon without even inflicting a visible wound was the first time. To her that was the first time she had ever witnessed such glorious strength.

Cynthia she viewed as a mentor to her. The words she told her and her friends were always taken to the young blunette's heart and she remembered them as the years went by, drawing on them for strength when she was in a tight spot.

Diantha exuded that similar aura of strength and definitely a similar aura of wisdom, but something was different about this aura. To Dawn, Diantha radiated one other trait that almost seemed to overpower her other two traits.

_ Elegance_

The grace and beauty of not only the human sitting beside her, sipping cocoa, was breathtaking. Her white outfit spotless and her makeup covering what she could tell below was flawless skin. Her eye lashes fluttering as she blinked almost felt like they could bring a gust of wind to the room.

The conversation was mostly between the Champion and Clemont. Dawn learned of many of Ash's exploits in Kalos a few years ago, as well as his encounters with Diantha herself. She chuckled remembering the Kanto native and his Pikachu. Lisia chimed in every now and again but Dawn was the one who primarily sat in silence. Until about 1:00 AM…

"So Dawn…" Diantha said as she placed her now empty mug on the table. Many of the people had left the tower as the rain began to die down and they could return to their now power filled home "I've heard a wee bit about you from Wallace and Lisia over the years"

The Kalos Champion's eyes glimmered as they met Dawn's blue ones. She brushed her blue locks off of her forehead and leaned back into the couch as she observed the surrounding people, Bonnie having fallen asleep with her head on Clemont's lap and Lisia practically bouncing in her seat waiting for Dawn to speak.

"Yeah um…I'm here to do some modeling work with Lisia. Winning two Grand Festival's in a row…I've really tired out some of my Pokemon" Dawn said as she looked at Piplup, sitting in her lap happily before making a proud salute "I figured it would be a nice break for them since they've always worked so hard for me…"

Dawn thought of the Pokemon she had left at home, her Togekiss and her Pachirisu. Both of them had been long overdue for a rest, Togekiss always flying her around and Pachirisu having become a lot more tame over the years, dropping a majority of its mischievous nature and was left at home to help her mother around the house.

"That's an excellent sign of a great trainer to know the limits of your Pokemon, especially at such a young age" Diantha said, clasping her hands together and turning to Lisia "She really does seem to resemble your uncle in a few ways"

"Doesn't she!? Of course she's not AS fabulous as he is but she's already years ahead of most coordinators her age" Lisia said as she looked over Diantha to Dawn.

Dawn blushed and rubbed her Piplup's head, gently. The Penguin Pokemon let out a yawn, causing the blunette to gasp and realize the time. She quickly stood up.

"Oh no it's so late! I would love to stay and chat Miss Diantha but me and Lisia have a lot to do tomorrow or in this case, today" She said quickly.

"Oh it's no trouble at all. I would love to continue this conversation at a later date" Diantha said, standing up herself and picking up her parasol "Clemont thank you very much for the shelter and the cocoa. I should really be heading back to my hotel"

"It's my pleasure. I should be getting Bonnie to bed. All of you have a safe trip back to your places and thanks for the help today!" The blonde said as he nudged Bonnie awake. Lisia Diantha and Dawn all left the base of Prism Tower, waving at the siblings as they shut the lights off in the lobby.

The three walked at a brisk pace to avoid the drizzling rain from completely soaking them and eventually split off, Diantha to her hotel, Lisia to her apartment, and Dawn to the Pokemon center. The pitter patter of soft water droplets rang across the city of Lumoise as the lights of the Prism Tower lit the otherwise dark night.

The site of the city was honestly quite breathtaking for those who watched it. Others however such as Paul didn't care as much, in fact he was leaving. He adjusted his hoodie as he walked towards one of the city exits and looked at his Holocaster that he had gotten from his brother shortly before heading to Kalos.

"Shalour City…" he grumbled "So apparently that's the origin of where Pokemon's true strengths were unlocked…should be the perfect place for me to train"

And with one last look at Lumoise, Paul brushed some of the rain drops out of his face, pulled his hoodie over it, and walked off into the night.

**…**

Dawn had become quite a morning person ever since she became a trainer. You kind of had to be one to get anywhere in this day and age. Sleeping your precious days away from travelling on foot would make you accustomed to waking up as early as possible to make sure you could make the most efficient use of your day, and the blunette was no exception to the rule. She had her usual ritual of waking up, screaming internally at her disheveled bed-head (Which she had never quite grown out of doing) and then brushing it with the help of Piplup's Bubblebeam to straighten her long blue locks into place.

Today was the polar opposite of yesterday. The storm seemed to have exhausted the sky of all of its resources, leaving it spotless and blue, the sun shining down profusely on the city, coating everything in a radiant aura. The walk out of the Pokemon Center to Cloud Nine was a pleasant on.

Lisia was already on the top floor of the store, tapping her foot while she waited for her new co-worker to walk out of the elevator door or up the stairwell. Her teeth practically reflected sunlight as Dawn walked into site up the stairwell, Piplup perched on her shoulder.

"Welcome welcome!" Lisia said, clapping her hands together "Now I'm really sorry I didn't get to show you everything in Lumoise I promised I was going too yesterday, what with the bad storm and the power outage and all but we can totally do that after the shoot"

"Yes of course! Work before Pleasure!" Dawn said sheepishly scratching the back of her head, adjusting the bow in her ponytail. Lisia took her by the arm and practically dragged her across the room. Dawn noticed that there weren't any windows on this floor and it was rather plain except for the occasional water cooler and potted plant.

"So this is the studio floor where I do all my commercials from Kalos. I have a TV show as I'm sure you're aware where I scout talented coordinators so I don't actually do much filming when I'm not travelling since I'm always so busy with the show" She explained as she showed an ID to a scanner and caused a door to open.

"Over 254 coordinators scouted right?" Dawn said with a grin. Lisia giggled at her

"255!" She corrected.

The studio wasn't extravagant but it was certainly clean. There was a table with mirrors for makeup with a few people bustling about. Camera equipment lined the edges as well as spotlights. Wardrobes were wheeled across the floor by a few girls. Ali was perched in the corner on a stand, sleeping soundly through all the work. Dawn was rather impressed that the Altaria could sleep through the ruckus.

"So you haven't even introduced me to your star Pokemon!" Lisia said as she turned on her heal and excitedly looked at Dawn.

The blunette took out a Pokeball, a star seal coating the edge of it and tossed it into the air, releasing the inhabitant in a glow. A brown rabbit-like Pokemon with tufts of fur coating her ears and midsection. She yawned and looked lazily at the environment before shaking her head and hiding her face behind her large ears. Her pose was elegant and she reached up to Dawn's midsection in height.

"Lopunny, are you ready to get to work?" Dawn asked the Pokemon as it uncovered its face and stared at its trainer before nodding excitedly.

Lopunny had come a long way with Dawn. She felt like it had come an even longer way than Piplup. While her starter had always kept that proud attitude, Lopunny had become more of a go-getter over the years. Being her first catch and having been with Dawn the longest of any of her caught Pokemon, it was no surprise to Dawn that she was the Pokemon that won her the first Grand Festival title in Hoenn along with Piplup in the Double Performance final. It has evolved prior to the event during a routine. It always made Dawn feel a little warm and fuzzy remembering that moment, since Buneary always evolve when they have a deep connection to their trainer.

When she had originally done modeling work with Paris, Dawn had several ideas for dresses and vests for Pokemon that trainers could adorn them with in contests, and Buneary had modeled pretty much all of them, since they were more suited for Pokemon with semi humanoid figures. When she evolved to Lopunny, it made her hobby of making clothes even easier since she didn't have to nearly prick herself making tiny cuts all the time.

Lisia led the two to the back and sat down, Lopunny stood as the two girls talked, slowly dressing her with some of the clothing they had picked prior to the shoot. Dawn carefully brushed Lopunny's fur as they discussed some of the contests that they had participated in together.

"She really is quite beautiful" Lisia said as she moved a light onto the green screen that covered the back of the room "You've taken very good care of her!"

Dawn blushed as Piplup gave Lopunny a high-five, causing her to raise her head in a proud motion. Piplup had always been encouraging for her, being the Pokemon she spent the most time with and all. She had always seen their relationship as a brother sister one. When she was first caught she had honestly hoped her trainer wouldn't have been as big of a ditz as Dawn (She figured that's why her old friends called her DeeDee at first) but she warmed up to her very quickly.

As Lopunny got her grooming, Dawn admired the plush brown fur of her original catch and took the time to make sure that she was as spick and span as she could be for the upcoming shoot. Dawn sat in a nearby studio chair and relaxed into it as Lisia walked behind her and began brushing the blunette's hair.

"So I remember you said these shoots were for your new line of clothes but you haven't actually filled me in on what they are yet" Dawn said as she sat back.

"Oh of course! Details details details…silly me I always forget silly stuff like that. Have a look at this!" Lisia said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a flier "Basically this new line of clothes that I call…Graceful like the wind"

Dawn looked at the flier, which depicted Lisia, and surprisingly, Diantha. Behind both of them were their signature Pokemon. Ali flew behind Lisia adorned with white ribbons and beside it was a Gardevoir, the Pokemon that Diantha was never seen without in battle. Both of them were adorned in tight blue tops and a windy effect emitted behind them. Their eyes were shut and their arms were outstretched, giving the illusion that they were flying in tandem with their Pokemon.

"Diantha helped you model for this first teaser?" Dawn said, surprised as she raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah. I hadn't actually told her I was bringing you on for the project. She's always so busy and especially with the Champion League coming up she's had no time so I've been shorthanded on the project. So I made some calls to Paris in Hearthome, who happens to be a very close friend of mine, and she recommended you to me!" Lisia chuckled as she took the brush away from Dawn's hair and carefully undid the ribbon, allowing the long blue locks of hair to fall down to her shoulders.

One worker came over and began to fit Lopunny with several different jackets, which Dawn assumed were customized by Lisia. Most of them pale colored and puffier than the clothes that were first shown on the flier. Piplup observed and cocked his head and nodded as each outfit was tried on. Lopunny stood still and looked rather used to the process, having done it multiple times with Dawn and Paris before.

"Anyways, I had already known your name, of course being a coordinator for three years and making Top 2 in your first three Grand Festivals, as well as winning two of them? That's some insane talent there. Of course I was unaware that you were so into fashion so when Paris showed me some of your work I was floored!" Lisia laughed as she finished with Dawn's hair and went back to apply a small amount of makeup.

"Yeah after my third Grand Festival I decided to take some time off. I mean I'm fourteen years old, almost fifteen and I'm still young and have a lot of time to figure out what I want to do. I mean my mother has never really quit coordinating…She teaches new trainers out of our house. It just runs in the Bertliz blood!" Dawn laughed as she played with her fingers.

"Have you considered going into fashion or even being a Pokemon Stylist?" Lisia asked.

"Maybe when I'm older but for now I think I'm going to go back to competing in contests in a few months. I never have gone to Kanto…" Dawn said, looking at Lopunny and Piplup.

Lopunny was ready for the shoot. Her body was fitted with a blue jacket with puffs of what looked to be a cotton-like substance, going perfectly with her own tannish cotton fur. She looked up at Dawn as Lisia finished applying the makeup on her.

"Ok! Camera time!" Lisia said, clapping her hands together. Piplup leapt into Dawn's arms as they stood up and looked at the green screen. It was going to be a long morning.

**…**

The docks of Lumoise were quite abuzz with the recent activity. Overnight during the storm, the strange men had propped up a large awning over one section, bringing loads of metal equipment and monitors underneath. The men ran around checking signals and reading charts from the machinery as Archie stood in the middle with his back to the city.

"Excellent work men! You got this whole place into a ship shape lab for us!" He said with a chuckle. Some of the men groaned at the mention of the word 'ship'.

"Excuse me sir, but are you the one that Professor Birch mentioned was coming a few days ago?" A voice from behind him said. Archie quickly turned around and was greeted by a tall man with black hair and a warm handsome smile. His coat was unbuttoned and his Hawaiian shirt showed through as he placed a hand in his pocket.

"Ah yes. Archie Stormraider at your service" The scientist said as he held his darkened hand out for the other man to take. He did so and they shook hands "Professor Augustine Sycamore am I correct?"

"That is indeed me. Welcome to the Kalos Region. I see you have wasted no time in setting up shop here…" Sycamore laughed as he observed Archie's men running about the dock.

"Yeah. I hope the city doesn't mind us setting up here. For our work we need to be close to the ocean and this is as close as we're going to get. All our machinery is set up but it can be moved easily. Took a bit longer than we thought because of that storm last night…" Archie said as he turned and crossed his arms, his Mega Anchor shaking as he turned. Sycamore took an interest immediately

"So is that your Mega accessory?" Sycamore said as he pulled something out of his collar, a necklace with the same stone Lisia wore.

"It is indeed a Key Stone. Like it? I call it a Mega Anchor" Archie says as he rocked it in his hand "I got ahold of it a few years ago and customized it. Looks a lot more intimidating than a plain old wristband or necklace, GRAHAHAHA!"

The gold chain shimmered in the daylight, Sycamore looked at it, intrigued and then back at Archie.

"Now it seems like you're still getting a few things prepared but why don't we go back to my lab for a bit. I have much I'd like to discuss with you before we continue further. Do you drink coffee?" He asked.

"With as little sugar as I can handle" Archie chuckled as the two of them walked off towards the city.

**…**

The flash of a camera always was a bit startling to Dawn, even when she knew it was coming. Lopunny and her made several poses, similar to that on the brochure. Closing her eyes between shots, Dawn almost felt like she WAS truly flying through the air, the wind carrying her underneath her arms like wings.

As soon as the final shot was taken she took a big long sigh and walked over to Lisia. The photographers turned to computers to admire the film and edit the pictures. The two girls looked at the clock. It was almost noon. They had been at it for around three hours. Piplup got up from his spot at the edge of the room and waddled over to Dawn, emitting a growling noise.

"Whats wrong?" She asked as she reached down to scoop him up. He looked at his stomach as Lopunny walked over, Lisia pulling off the clothes from the Pokemon's body.

"I think he's hungry!" Lisia laughed as Piplup nodded furiously "Now that he brings it up, honestly I'm pretty hungry to. We actually are gonna have to wait to see how the prototype covers turn out and that might take a few days at most so why don't we pal around and I'll show you the stuff I didn't get to before?"

"Yeah sure that'd be great! I heard that there are some great boutiques here and I'd love to explore some of the shops that Kalos has to offer…" Dawn said. Suddenly a small rumbling could be heard from her own stomach "Um…And maybe get some food before then…I'm pretty hungry too"

Lisia let out a laugh as they walked out of the studio, Dawn deciding to keep her Lopunny out while they walked down out of Cloud Nine and out onto the streets of Lumoise. Dawn relaxed her arms as Piplup hopped onto her shoulder in the sunlight.

"There's this one café I like near Professor Sycamore's Laboratory" Lisia suggested as she raised a finger.

"Sounds wonderful!" Dawn replied happily as Lopunny rubbed her belly at the thought of nourishment. The two girls and two Pokemon happily walked outside, enjoying the sites of the city as they walked along the roads.

Dawn noticed in Kalos that many more people were riding on mopeds and biking. The city seemed very green, compared to places she had been like Jubilife, Veilstone, Castellia, or Rustboro City. Many people were out walking and using less gasoline and more electrical power to get around. It did give the entire city a cozier feeling. It was comfortable walking in such a natural, serene region.

Getting to the Café, both of them sat outside. Some people looked at them and some even walked up for autographs. Dawn was a bit shy but Lisia was all too eager to sign. Eventually Dawn submitted and signed a few shirts herself, smiling with some teeth showing as she watched them leave. Lisia took a sip of a cup of expresso as she crossed her legs.

"You aren't used to the fame yet are you. Even after all this time?" She said with a laugh. Dawn blushed.

"I assume having Wallace for your uncle would mean you're more comfortable around all the crowds of people. I don't mind it on stage or anything but just casually, It's a bit nerve-wracking knowing that one on one people admire me you know?" The blunette explained to her teal haired friend.

"Yeah I totally understand. I mean at least you don't have it as bad as Diantha. Sometimes she has to go out in disguise to avoid the rush of the public flooding her" Lisia said with a frown.

As she said that, someone tapped on her shoulder and she turned, gasping as she was looking up to the face of Diantha, a Black hat covering most of her head, but the eyes were unmistakable. Lisia turned her chair as Dawn smiled, noting the change in clothing Diantha had, wearing a long brown trench coat.

"Well hello there. Did I just hear my name being discussed? We really have to stop meeting like this Dawn!" The Kalosian Champion said as she took the empty chair at the girl's table and slid into it, sitting with them "How goes the shoot Lisia?"

"It's going great!" Lisia said as she pointed to Lopunny and Piplup, who were eating on their own next to the table. They looked up, noticing Diantha's presence. The champion looked down at them.

"Is this lovely Lopunny yours Dawn?" Diantha asked. Dawn nodded "She's very gorgeous. You've clearly taken very good care of her"

"Oh why thank you! That's a real honor coming from you…" Dawn said as she blushed deeper

"So Lisia, I was thinking. We haven't really had time to get much word out about Graceful like the Wind have we? I know it's a bit short notice but why not have Dawn go to Aquacorde Town to deliver the notice to them? We could always send it online but I don't think she'd mind seeing a bit of Kalos. It would take her at most 2 days to get there and back since it isn't very far!" Diantha said as she turned back to Dawn "Would you be ok with that?"

"Wow that's so sudden!" Dawn gasped. Diantha nodded and looked at Lisia.

"I think she could do it. She's pretty capable" Lisia said with a nod back.

"Yeah no need to worry! If Dawn Bertliz is on the job it'll get done!" She said, quickly standing up and slinging her backpack over her back, retying her hair up in the ponytail with the ribbon and then placing the large bow back in its normal spot.

"Excellent!" Diantha said "I was actually on an errand myself. I was on my way to Professor Sycamore's lab to discuss the storm last night. He had some interesting information he wanted to share with me"

"About the storm? That's a bit weird I never took you for a scientific type" Lisia said as Diantha quickly stood up.

"Yes I'm quite puzzled about it as well but he said he may possibly require some very strong trainers for the future…which has piqued my curiosity" She said as she pointed over to a large building.

Dawn noticed three people standing out at the front. One was clearly Clemont, recognizable from the blonde hair and blue jumpsuit, but the other two she didn't quite recognize. One was a taller man with a lab coat and the other was a dark skinned man with something golden hanging around his neck. She watched wordlessly as Diantha walked off towards them, keeping her head down.

"So…Do you wanna finish eating and get going?" Lisia said, handing the flier from earlier to Dawn. She smiled and took them.

"Sounds like a good plan to me!" Dawn laughed as they opened their menus to pick out lunch.

**…**

"So you say the storm last night wasn't natural but rather was caused by a Pokemon?" Clemont asked as Archie nodded his head.

"Aye. It was by Kyogre. The legendary Pokemon of the sea" Archie said as he narrowed his eyes.

"Kyogre…The Sea Basin Pokemon…Originally took refuge in the Hoenn Region and was said to have created all of the worlds ocean's one upon a time" Sycamore said as he placed a hand on his cheek, stroking it slowly as he lost himself in thought.

"But what would such a Pokemon be doing here and why would it be causing storms to form so randomly?" Clemont asked.

"Because it isn't random" Archie said as he crossed his arms "My men and I have been studying Kyogre for very many years. A long time ago when I was in a…much worse place in my life. I'm a different man now but the knowledge I gained of this Pokemon back then remains strong and has only gotten stronger. I believe it is here because of Primal Reversion"

"Primal Reversion?" Diantha said as she walked up to the group. Sycamore clapped his hands together.

"Diantha! So glad you were able to make it here unscathed. I would have think you would have gotten flodded with autographs even walking anywhere near this place" He laughed.

"Oh Augustine you never change!" Diantha chuckled "But anyways you were discussing something. Primal Reversion is a form of Mega Evolution isn't it?"

Archie nodded.

"A very special kind of Mega Evolution, said to have been only usable by Kyogre and its rival, the Legendary Groudon. The Pokemon that created the very land we stand on today" He explained "A long time ago, the legendary Red Orb and Blue Orbs were said to supposedly be used to control these two great beasts, as I found out personally. That is indeed true, but over the years I've delved further into the making and usage of the orbs and have discovered more about them"

"More? They weren't just used to control the legendary Pokemon?" Clemont asked.

"No they were supposedly used as Mega Stones, special kinds that triggered Primal Reversion at will. That's why Birch had contacted me and sent Archie before he personally comes to Kalos. Both of our combined knowledges of the Legendary Pokemon and weather patterns, as well as Mega Evolution, would help attribute to a cohesive theory as to what this Pokemon could possibly be doing in Kalos" Sycamore explained.

"I happen to be an expert on Kyogre. I've already set up shop at the edge of the city near the ocean. My equipment has detected the same readings underwater that I got years ago when I last encountered Kyogre. The goal is to study Primal Reversion. My theory is it has come to Kalos because it is preparing to perhaps undergo Primal Reversion on its own, without the help of the orb. It hasn't done this in millions of years…It would be a scientific Phenomenon!" Archie replied back.

"And you wish to have me on standby in case something happens right? A legendary Pokemon that powerful in such a strong state…" Diantha murmured

"Exactly. My plan is to stay here and possibly monitor one more storm before the end of the week and then go and search for it. It's no big issue for me and my men to find it. We are very well equipped to locate Kyogre. If we witness Primal Reversion, it would help all of our research tremendously" Archie explained.

"So you want me to route you and your men power to help you guys with your scans right? I'm amazed that none of your equipment was damaged or washed away being set up in that storm last night and all" Clemont laughed.

"Aye. We're used to weather like that and most of our equipment is waterproof anyway" Archie said with a nod. He looked at Sycamore "So Professor, what do you say? And Champion? Can I count on the two of you? I know that the Champion League is very soon so you will need as much time as possible to practice. Who knows, Kyogre could be a great warmup if it even came to that"

Diantha nodded and pull her hat off.

"I'm in" She said.

**…**

After finishing her meal, Dawn waved good bye to Lisia and Ali, Piplup sitting on her shoulder.

"You have my Holocaster info! I hope you like using it. It's so much more convenient than just walking over to a video phone and calling from there" Lisia said.

"Yeah of course! I'll try to move quickly. You say I'll have to pass through Santalune City and Santalune forest right? It shouldn't be too much of a problem with the directions you gave me" Dawn explained with a happy nod.

"Alright then! No need to worry right? That's what you usually say! I'll seeya soon and hopefully our first round of pictures will be done by then and we can get back to work!" Lisia said.

The two girls shook hands and Dawn turned on heel and left, looking back at Lumoise ready to see what Kalos had in front of her as Piplup made a salute at Lisia before they walked out of her view.

**…**

_Next Time_

_Dawn travels towards Aquacorde Town and meets a new face, one who is competing in the Champion League! What is that thing on his arm though? Is it a secret to Mega Evolution? And what of Archie's squad? Why is he a good guy now?_

_Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you enjoyed the update. Didn't get as many reviews as I hoped last chapter but that's what I get for uploading chapters so late at night! Thank you to everyone's viewed and is enjoying the story so far. Sorry if the pace is a little slow but I want to try to give some of the character's personality. Of course this is off course from the anime since XY is an ongoing series, the basic outlines are going to be a little different since they will be referenced in the fic._

_Enjoy your meals and presents and sweets everyone! Happy Holidays and I'll see you all in the next chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Hopefully all of you have had a very Happy Holidays! We've hit 400 hits! Thank you guys so much c: I appreciate every one of you that gives this story a read or even skims it, it means a lot_**

**_Also! I have a new story! It's called The Brightest Skies are the Darkest and its up on my profile right now! I think I'm going to try and update it once a week so I encourage you to give it a read as I'm trying a different style with it!_**

**_In the meantime, here's the next chapter, I hope you all enjoy!_**

**_..._**

**Aurora Sapphirus**

**By The Mew in a Chair**

**Chapter 4**

**...**

**_One of my favorite things about being a Pokemon trainer is that you always get to travel. You get to go everywhere in the world and see amazing sights that you would never see if you stayed in school and got a job or went to college or something similar. It was an adventure and made life invigorating._**

**_I love meeting new people, making new friends, seeing new Pokemon, going everywhere I want, eating delicious food, and etcetera. Every trainer has a different journey and meeting those trainers and hearing about their experiences is part of what makes each of us trainers grow as individuals._**

**_Of course some of these humble trainers grow to become powerhouses, and their looks don't matter…Even the most unlikely of people grow to become powerful, like this boy I just met on my errand…_**

The path leading out of Lumoise was one of the most beautiful routes Dawn had ever walked on. It was so amazingly lush and filled with fresh colorful flowers. She watched as a few strange looking Pokemon hopped on a few flowers, actually floating on the wind. She looked at them and took out her Pokedex as she walked. It had been updated before she left Sinnoh again and had up to date data on all the Pokemon in Kalos.

The Pokemon was called Flabébé and it might have been the smallest Pokemon she had ever seen. She watched as they danced gracefully on the wind. Even at her more matured age, Dawn couldn't help but giggle at cute Pokemon that she spotted, especially ones that she had never seen before.

"They're all so differently colored!" She exclaimed to Piplup as they walked

"Lup!" The Penguin Pokemon chirped in reply as they admired the school of Fairy types that blew in the wind. They were red, yellow, orange, even pink.

"Maybe I should catch one…" Dawn said as she picked out a Pokeball "I haven't captured a new Pokemon in a long time…"

It was true, Dawn hadn't captured a new Pokemon in years. She had always used her original six.

Piplup, her starter whose spirit had never wavered and who's pride had always been what had allowed her to press forward no matter what happened in the road ahead. She and Piplup, her partner, would challenge whatever stood in their way.

Lopunny, her first catch when she was just a Buneary. Her good old reliable that fought many a contest battle with her. She had always laughed at its nativity and shyness but knew when it came to crunch time, Lopunny would be the one she could always have counted on to do the heavy lifting with its speed and flexibility.

Pachirisu, the symbol of her first sign of doubts, and the first Pokemon she had ever released. If only for a brief time Pachirisu wasn't in her hand possession, it was the first time she truly questioned her ability to raise a specific Pokemon. Raising it taught her patience and many other good qualities that she would eventually nurture. She was sure that her mom was taking good care of it after its injury it sustained in Unova.

Mamoswine, her biggest challenge. She thought it would be easy to raise it since when she had first caught it as a Swinub, it was so lax and easy to take care of, but as it evolved quickly, such was the interest in listening to her faded. She felt her taming of Mamoswine to become one of her biggest powerhouses was her biggest step in the early stages of her coordinating career. Nonetheless, she was proud of him and proud of herself for how she had raised him.

Typhlosion, her baby as she called him. Raised from an egg, she always enjoyed how affectionate it was towards people. After all of the trouble she had gotten from Mamoswine and Pachirisu, raising Cyndaquil up to his most powerful state was honestly for her, a cakewalk. As he grew up, he became one of her most reliable, powerful Pokemon and was a large reason as to why she did so well in Hoenn.

And finally Togekiss. She had always felt a little of wary deep down of her because she hadn't raised it herself but she knew that she was doing both it and Salvia a great favor by continuing to raise it and allowing it to compete in contests. She had actually left it with Salvia when she left for Kalos so that it could see its former trainer, and was sure both of them were very happy to see each other again.

Looking at the four Pokeballs she had on her belt, she decided she would try to catch some new Pokemon to use in later Grand Festivals while she was in Kalos.

"A second fairy type would be wonderful…" She said with wide eyes as she looked at the Flabébé floating off. She scrunched her face. They did look so happy together "But I don't think I should break up that school…"

Piplup nodded at Dawn's words as they watched them vanish from view.

"Ah…Oh no…" They heard a voice from nearby.

Dawn turned her head and gasped. She hadn't even noticed before when she was observing the Flabébé but there was a person in the field of flowers. It was a boy with mostly white clothing and khaki pants. His hair was green and his skin was practically white. It almost frightened Dawn how pale he was. He had a small inhaler in one hand and was crouched down in the field with his bag next to him.

"Where did it go...Where did I drop it…" He muttered. Dawn walked over to him

"Um excuse me?" She said "Did you say you dropped something?"

The boy suddenly backed up with a start, coughing and letting out a large sneeze.

"Oh lord! You frighten…AH CHOO!" He said as he took a charge of the inhaler before breathing heavily before standing up, grabbing his bag off the ground.

"Ah…I'm so sorry! It's um…What did you drop exactly?" Dawn asked as Piplup hopped off her shoulders and walked into the flower bed.

"Ah it's a very very very important stone…Its really small and it's called a Mega Stone…" He said "Oh uh I'm sorry…I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Wally…"

"My name's Dawn!" The blunette said as she cocked her head with a smile "Do you have asthma by any chance? I'll help you find your Mega Stone. You should stay out of the flower beds. It can't be good for you"

"Ah…no I'm from a place that has lots of flowers…Verdanturf Town in Hoenn…I guess I'm just not used to the air in this region…" Wally said sheepishly.

Dawn knelt down as Wally stepped out of the flowers. She searched around, pulling certain larger flowers to the side and looking for a glint.

"What is a Mega Stone anyways?" She asked as Wally stood with his hands behind his back.

"It's for unlocking the true potential of my partner" He said "Have you um…ever hear of Mega Evolution?"

"Mega Evolution!?" Dawn gasped as she noticed a small glint in the corner of her eye. She pushed back the flower to see Piplup standing in the bed of flowers with a small marble sized stone in his hands "Isn't that something incredibly strong trainers use…?"

Wally looked away with a blush "Ah…It was a gift from my Uncle…You see um I'm actually here to compete in the Champion League. I just somehow won the Ever Grande Conference last year and I got invited despite being such a rookie. I'm not quite sure myself how I managed to win…"

Dawn was floored as she took the small stone from Piplup and stood up, the Penguin Pokemon jumping up onto her shoulder as she walked back to Wally and placed the stone into his palm.

"So you're really good huh?" She said with a smile "I've gotten around a bit too. I'm actually a coordinator"

"Oh! I knew I'd recognized you! You won the Hoenn Grand Festival 2 years ago!" He said, blushing "It's so nice to meet you. Contests are a really big deal in Hoenn…it's incredibly competitive…You must be amazing!"

"Hey! If you emerged victorious the Ever Grande Conference that's not a laughing matter either! You must be incredibly strong!" Dawn gasped.

"Ah but…I've been a trainer for such a short time. My Pokemon have been so helpful to me and helped me become so strong. You know that's how it works right? A Pokemon and their trainers working together in harmony, that's how they become strong!" Wally said.

Dawn was a bit surprised from the outburst. It was as if Wally had become a different person as soon as she handed him the stone back. He had looked so sickly before.

"You see I'm actually from Petalburg City…The Gym Leader Norman is good friends with my family so he personally went with me to capture my very own Pokemon. It was the best day of my life! My parents thought since I was always so sick that having a Pokemon would be good for me…" Wally coughed quickly and took another breath from his inhaler before lowering it.

"And they let you go on a journey even though you were sick? That's some dedication to Pokemon you have there" Dawn said.

"Piplup!" Her partner said with a nod.

"Yeah I love Pokemon with all my heart! I tried so hard to train and become strong. I lost so many times at the start, and I think I only beat one gym leader on my first try. All of them were just o tough but eventually I made it after a long grueling battle to Ever Grande and somehow managed to win the whole thing! I was down to my last Pokemon in every single round and it was the greatest feeling of my life when we won…" Wally said with a blush.

"So you're really strong if you can use Mega Evolution…I've only heard about it but I've never actually seen it for myself…" Dawn muttered. She looked at her belt and a familiar feeling reached over her. It was a trait she had gotten from Ash. Whenever she met someone whom she could feel would give her a good battle she got excited.

Her fingers flexed and she took a ball from her belt.

"What do you say to battling me then? Trainer versus Coordinator!? I'd love to see how strong a Champion is…After all its been so long since I've battled such an elite level trainer…" She said with a smile.

"You've fought Champions before?" Wally said as he took a Pokeball off of his belt. Dawn was a bit surprised when she saw the ball it was in. It was a green and brown ball, a Nest Ball.

"Ah well I've fought Elite Four Members…like Lucian from Sinnoh where I'm from" She said as she clutched one ball.

"Wow so you must be no slouch yourself…" Wally said as he tossed the ball up and fit the Mega Stone into a band on his wrist "Let's see how you handle this! Gallade!"

The Nest Ball opened up, and its inhabitant popped out. It was a tall humanoid Pokemon with large blades on its arms and a green head. It stood proudly in front of Wally, almost eliciting a chuckle from Piplup as she saw Wally nervously standing behind it, looking as if he was about to fall over compared to the tall elegant form of his own Pokemon.

Dawn was a bit surprised to see a Gallade. The last time she had faced one was her first defeat at the Grand Festival at the hands of Zoey. She smiled at the thought of getting to face yet another one. She clutched the same ball she was holding prior and tossed it into the air, releasing its inhabitant, her Typhlosion, standing tall in front of her with flames pouring out of its neck.

"W…wow! I've never seen a real Typhlosion before!" Wally said with wide eyes.

"Ready!?" Dawn said with a smile _"Show me what Mega Evolution is capable of!"_

The green haired boy shifted slightly as he watched the larger mouse Pokemon let out a stiff growl before roaring, flames exploding from its neck. Heat emitted from the fire, surrounding and powering up the fire type. Dawn nodded her head as she observed Gallade clanging its arms together like they were actual swords.

"Gallade! Psycho Cut!" Wally finally ordered, his eyes widening. His Pokemon took the order without hesitation, surprising Dawn slightly as it dashed towards her Typhlosion. The fire type's eyes widened as it rolled out of the way with surprising speed for its size, flames licking the edge of Gallade as it turned and made a downward swipe with its arm aglow with pink energy.

Typhlosion's back suddenly lit up, the flames expanding and striking back as Gallade made the large downward cut towards it. The attack landed but Gallade was not one to go unscathed, the intense burning of the fire damaging it as it struck.

"Flamethrower!" Dawn ordered. Typhlosion growled and opened its mouth, emitting a blast of fiery breath from its mouth towards its attacker. Gallade shielded itself with its arms as it was knocked backwards off of Typhlosion by the powerful flame strike.

"Woah…so hot!" Wally gasped as he braced himself, feeling the intense heat from the attack pouring off of Gallade's arms towards him. Dawn was a bit surprised how Gallade seemed rather unscathed by the powerful attack. It flexed its arms and broke the burst of flame with a single strike of the blades.

_"It shrugged off Typhlosion's Flamethrower that easily?"_ Dawn thought, a bit surprised _"For someone who claims to have been a trainer for such a short time too…Typhlosion isn't exactly a slouch!"_

"Strike back with Night Slash!" Wally ordered quickly, panting as he did so, taking his inhaler out for another dose. Gallade reacted quickly once again, making a large slash towards Typhlosion.

"Thunderpunch!" Dawn yelled. Typhlosion's fist clenched and quickly began crackling with electrical power. The mouse Pokemon made a flying lunge at Gallade, meeting its powerful melee strike with one its own, darkness and lightning clashing before Gallade's other arm crashed into Typhlosion, knocking back a fair distance. Gallade smirked before cringing, static electricity running its course around its body.

_"Oh no! Paralyzed!? That takes away our speed match…"_ Wally thought, looking down at his necklace, the Mega Stone embedded in it.

"Now use Swift!" Dawn commanded. Typhlosion growled and stars began to form around its body, shooting towards Gallade with glittery paths trailing behind them, knocking into the paralyzed fighter.

"Gallade! Psycho Cut!" Wally yelled _"If we can't fight close up with the speed disadvantage, we can at least attack from range!"_

Gallade stood straight up, slamming its bladed arm into the ground, sending a pink shockwave across the dirt in an arc. Dawn was surprised to see the attack being used from two different angles, close and afar. Typhlosion dodged it as Gallade made a second swipe, the mouse able to dodge that strike as well.

"Now! Flamethrower!" Dawn yelled. Typhlosion let out a bigger burst of flame, meeting one of the strikes as he ran closer and closer to Wally's Pokemon. The cut sliced through the Flamethrower, causing the flames to dissipate into the air as the Psychic energy broke the attack, causing the flames to lick the air before vanishing.

Wally struggled as he watched Gallade panting. Paralysis was a huge blow and not a status condition he was used to getting, especially from a fire type Pokemon of all things. He took a breath on his inhaler and looked at Dawn.

"Man…I didn't know coordinators could be this tough!" He said as he held a hand to his necklace "I guess I…I should be going all out right?"

Dawn nodded as suddenly the necklace began glowing. Gallade looked behind at its trainer. Its eyes narrowed and watched as a soft light came from Wally's hand. Gallade turned to Dawn as it began glowing as well. Her eyes widened. The sight was incredible, a pink glow surrounding Gallade in a cocoon of harsh light.

"Mega Evolution…" She muttered. Typhlosion gritted its teeth together as the cocoon began glowing brightly. A large blade suddenly ripped through it, causing the brilliant lightshow to burst into sparkles. Out stepped Gallade. Dawn gasped as she saw its appearance had changed. From the Pokemon's back was a cape and the blades had gotten even larger and fiercer.

"Close Combat!" Wally said quickly, without delay. Dawn was a bit surprised he was already returning to attacking so quickly after the display.

Gallade swung with incredible speed, the electricity from the paralysis status still affecting it yet, seemingly not in the slightest. Typhlosion braced itself as flames surrounded his neck. The blow was powerful, causing him to skid back as Gallade threw another punch, slamming into the fire type, bruising it through its fur.

"Fire Blast!" Dawn yelled. Typhlosion continually took the punishment, allowing more and more fire to build. Gallade reared back and made a slash downwards, causing Typhlosion to wail out in pain as it was knocked down.

"Finish!" Wally ordered with wide eyes. Gallade leapt up, the blades on the Mega Evolved Pokemon lengthening before it came down, swinging with one large arc. Typhlosion struggled as fire began to leak out of its mouth. Building into a powerful ball of fire.

"Ty!" The Fire Mouse screamed as the ball launched upwards, releasing the flames in a giant 5 pronged formation of molten energy. Gallade swung down, wincing as a shock from the paralysis overtook it. The Fire Blast burned it heavily but nonetheless, Gallade swung down, slamming the blade onto Typhlosion. The Fire surrounded the two Pokemon before bursting into smoke.

"Oh no!" Dawn and Wally both said as the smoke from the attacks began clearing. Gallade stood atop Typhlosion, leaning on its blade, unconscious, with its body glowing white before shrinking slightly and the extra features vanishing along with it. The Mega Evolution had cancelled, causing him to fall forward. Typhlosion laid below, swirls in its eyes.

Wally looked a bit confused before walking over to his fallen Pokemon. He picked up Gallade and saw the swirls in its eyes too. He sighed.

"It's a draw…" he said with a weak laugh "Man…Even with Mega Evolution I wasn't good enough"

Dawn looked a bit shocked that was Wally's reaction. Even though he was clearly a strong trainer that had emerged victorious in a Pokemon League, he had still managed to bring one of her strongest Pokemon down in a draw. She had been training her Typhlosion for years on top of all of that.

"I'd say that was a pretty fair display of raw talent. You're a natural!" Dawn said as she calmly recalled her fallen Pokemon, looking at the ball with a smile "Thank you Typhlosion, take a nice long rest. You deserve it"

Wally recalled his Gallade and took another breath on his inhaler, shaking his necklace as he breathed out through his nose.

"Ahhh the flowers here are so bad for me…" he sniffed as he looked at Dawn. She put a hand on her hip as she looked down at him. This close, she noticed how much shorter Wally was than her, as well as how absolutely pale he was "That was so fun though Dawn! I haven't had a battle like that in a while…"

"Yeah of course! You're really good! There's no way you fluked your way through Hoenn with such strong Pokemon like that. You should be proud that you've raised them that well" The blunette said happily as she patted his shoulder.

"You really think so?" Wally said as he smiled "Thank you so much! That means a lot coming from someone as famous and experienced as you…"

Dawn nodded as she gasped, remembering the flier in her pocket.

"Oh shoot…I'm actually trying to get somewhere in a hurry. Aquacorde Town to be precise. I completely forgot!" She said, slapping her forehead "Wally I have to go, it was nice meeting you!"

"Wait! I have to go to Santalune City…And that's on the way there. I wanted to perhaps meet one of the Halos Gym Leaders. Can…can we maybe go together? It would be a lot more fun than just walking by myself if we're going the same way" He suggested.

The blunette smiled and nodded. The thought of having some company for a bit would definitely make the walk much more fun and certainly less boring.

"Of course you can come! But I'm warning you, I walk kinda fast just out of habit so tell me if you feel yourself losing breath" She giggled. Wally nodded and slipped his necklace back into its regular spot under his shirt and walked after her

**…**

Dawn was surprised how easy it was to travel through Kalos, at least the parts she had been too so far. She and Wally had walked for only three hours before arriving around midday at a hilltop that overlooked it.

_"What a pristine region…"_ The blunette thought as they walked along the path, watching the stone pathways of Santalune stretch into their views. Lumoise had been so structured and large with giant buildings to cover their views, along with the actual hustle and bustle of a large major city, but Santalune looked much calmer. The path diverged from the dirt path in a checker formation, almost making it look like it was transforming.

"It's building makeup reminds of Slateport" Wally noted.

A majority of the walk had just been the two of them recounting past adventures. Wally explained to Dawn that he had gotten his first Pokemon just outside of Petalburg as a favor from the gym leader of the town. Dawn had actually gotten to meet the man, Norman, on her own trip to Hoenn and was more than eager to see her friend and rival May again. She always thought it was fun to meet common connections through other people. That was half of the fun of travelling was building a social network.

The Pokemon Wally had caught was unsurprisingly to Dawn, the Gallade he had used against her when it was just a Ralts. Judging by the strong bond they had through Mega Evolution it was a rather easy assumption for her to make. Over the course of his journey, Wally became slightly stronger and less frail, training up his own team of Pokemon.

Hoenn was one of Dawn's favorite regions that she had ever travelled too, although Kalos was quickly becoming her favorite, but flashing back to her time spent in the watery region, it was calm and graceful. The air there was incredibly crisp and clean. It would likely do wonders for someone with severe asthma like Wally. Going on an adventure with Pokemon had definitely done wonders for him.

"I actually have a few friends who are competing in the Champion League" Dawn said as she and Wally walked into Santalune.

"You do!?" He gasped.

"Yep! Ash Ketchum and Paul Shinji are two really good friends of mine. Well…to an extent" The blunette said, thinking of Paul and how he had talked to her back at the docks when they had met again "Ash taught me a lot about being a trainer when I started out and we travelled together for a long time!"

"Wow…I've heard of them. They defeated the Kanto Battle Frontiers…two of the toughest training routes of all time. And you know them? Jeez no wonder you're so strong" Wally said with a blush.

"It's all just about how much effort you're willing to put in and how much care you give your Pokemon" Dawn said.

**_"YAAAAAAAAAAAH!"_** An earsplitting scream split the air between Wally and Dawn, causing them to both leap and turn in the direction of the voice, or rather voices. They were greeted with two girls, both taller than them but with similar facial structures and dirty blonde hair. One was perched atop of a large Ram Pokemon Dawn had never seen before with grass growing on its sides and large horns. The other was standing next to it and holding a camera, dressed for sunny weather.

"What a scoop sis!" The one perched atop the Pokemon said to the other.

"A Champion AND a top coordinator here in Santalune! And to think we were going to go to Lumoise for stories like this but here comes an unexpected visit!" The other said.

"Um…" Dawn muttered "Who are you two?"

The girls gasped and regained their composure, the one perched atop of the ram jumped off and bowed slightly.

"I'm Alexa. I'm one of the finest journalists in all of the Kalos Region! This here is Gogoat, my partner in crime and assistant" She introduced.

"And I'm Viola. I happen to actually be this city's Gym Leader. I also happen to be a photographer and I occasionally help Alexa with some of her articles" The other introduced as well.

"What was that about going to Lumoise for scoops?" Wally asked, cocking his head.

"I'm going to be covering the Champion League for my regional paper. And Viola is actually closing her gym during the tournament to help photograph the event. We were just about to leave on our way there but then we just so happened to run into you two! What are such strong trainers doing here? I would think all the contestants would be headed to Shalour City to train" Alexa said.

"Well I'm on an errand to Aquacorde Town. I'm actually working with Lisia on a new project of hers and I was going to deliver some notes to their Boutique" Dawn explained.

"I actually came here to battle you!" Wally said as he turned to Viola "I figured fighting strong Kalos born trainers would be a great way to train for an event like the Champion League!"

Viola sighed.

"Well I would love to battle you but we actually just shut up the gym. I'm so sorry about that! I'd offer to battle you here and now but we really actually have to get going" She said as she held up her camera, taking a few quick pictures of Dawn and Wally "But thanks for these shots! Don't worry you won't be some tabloid cover"

Dawn rolled her eyes as that thought rushed through her head. Piplup looked amusingly at his trainer before Gogoat turned and nudged Alexa.

"Well it was nice meeting the both of you. Perhaps maybe we'll meet again sometime if you're ever in Lumoise! Aquacorde town is through the Santalune forest just south of here so if you want to get their quick make sure to stay on the left path. We've had a few people getting lost in there" Viola said, turning to her sister.

Dawn and Wally waved good bye to the sisters as they both hopped onto the back of Gogoat and rode away out of sight. Piplup was surprised how fast it was able to move despite the heavy load. Kalos Pokemon were no joke.

"I wonder if they have some shops here I could put these up in" Dawn said as she looked at the paper.

"I'm sure they do. Let's go look around and then shack up at the Pokemon Center for a bit. It's getting late into the afternoon and travelling through a forest doesn't exactly sound like the best idea during the night" Wally remarked, pointing towards a familiar red building.

The blunette agreed with a nod and they headed off towards the center.

**…**

Shalour City.

The site of the first ever Pokemon Mega Evolution, so many years ago.

Paul walked across the beach pathway that led into the city, smelling the crisp ocean air as he did so. He frowned looking up at the sky, which was currently filled with dark rainclouds. The sky was already darkening as a result of the setting sun before but now it was just pitch black with the addition of the clouds.

"He's here…" Paul said as he raised an eye "I can feel him…"

The violet haired boy walked forward, his feet crunching into the sand as he did. He looked off into the distance of the city's edge, seeing a large tower. Poised in front was a statue of a Pokemon, a Lucario. He had heard about the stories that when Mega Evolution was discovered, Lucario was the first Pokemon to ever utilize it.

_"I have to get stronger so I can defeat him..."_ Paul thought as he walked towards it. A strike of lightning crashes out of the sky towards the tower.

There was a port outside of Lumoise that took him through a Canal to a place called Coumarine City. There, he was able to dock and take a shortcut across the beach and make it to Shalour by nightfall and start training. Paul reached into his pocket as he moved, taking out something, a band with a slot in it.

Reggie had given it to him before he had left for Kalos, saying he would understand what's its purpose was when the time was right. Paul had simply rolled his eyes at what his brother had said. It sounded cliché and such things bothered him.

_"Why would he keep it in the shadows? I know this is clearly something used for Mega Evolution…Is there something special about it?"_ He thought with a frown.

Suddenly, he felt a presence. He dodged downwards, rolling on the sand as a watery blade soared by him. He rolled forward and stood up, a hand on his knee as he smirked.

"Nice shot…" He grunted.

A laugh rang out over the beach as a figure walked into view. A yellow mouse Pokemon perched on his shoulder with a big grin on his face. Behind him stood a Greninja, the ninja Pokemon with its tongue wrapped around like a scarf with blue skin and webbed hands and feet.

"…Ketchum" Paul smiled

"Heya Paul! Glad to see your reflexes are still as good as I hoped." Ash laughed as he held out a hand, which Paul looked at before smirking and shaking it.

**…**

_Next time:_

_Dawn and Wally head off towards Aquacorde through the Santalune Forest to finish Dawn's errand, but what if this meeting between Ash and Paul? What are the secrets of Mega Evolution that Paul wishes to obtain? And what of Archie and Professor Sycamore?_

_I hope all of you had a happy new year and enjoyed this chapter. Pokemon Battles aren't my specialty so I hope to become better at writing them as this fic goes on. That was just a sample of what I know how to do so far and I hope it didn't leave too many of you gagging_

_Stay classy, I'll see you all in the next update._


End file.
